Dust container for suction cleaners



July 4, 1967 I WATERS 3,328,942

DUST CONTAINER FOR SUCTION CLEANERS Filed March 25, 1964 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 wlrmssszs: INVENTOR Robert 8. Waters day? an W. QM

ATTORNEY July 4, 1967 R. s. WATERS DUST CONTAINER FOR SUCTION CLEANERS 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed March 25, 1964 United States Patent 3,328,942 DUST CONTAINER FOR SUCTION CLEANERS Robert S. Waters, Lexington, Ohio, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Mar. 25, 1964, Ser. No. 354,585 2 Claims. (Cl. 55-358) This invention relates to suction cleaners of the type that employs a pivoted front cover for gaining access to the dust bag compartment for insertion or removal of the dust bag and more particularly to a disposable dust container for use in a suction cleaner of this type.

Heretofore, dust containers of the prior art have been used which comprise a bag portion, made chiefly of dust impervious material, having a rectangular open end to which is secured a flat piece of cardboard or end plate member of somewhat larger area than the rectangular end of the bag portion. The container is disposed in a section of the cleaner housing having an open end which is exposed by swinging away a front cover of the cleaner. The opened end section of the cleaner is provided with a peripheral flange which cooperates with a sealing gasket disposed on the front cover to retain the end plate in place when the front cover is locked in the closed position. The end plate is provided with an opening therethrough for receiving an air conduit which directs the dirt-laden air from a nozzle into the bag portion of the container. It will be understood that proper positioning of the end plate is necessary to prevent air leakage and misalignment of the opening in the end plate with the air conduit. If when the front cover is closed, the perimeter of the end plate does not contact the peripheral flange at every point along its perimeter, air leakage will occur. That is to say that all of the air drawn by the suction motor will not come from the inlet of the nozzle thereby causing an appreciable loss of suction power. It will therefore be understood that it is necessary to provide positive means for retaining the end plate and consequently the bag in the proper position once it has been inserted in the cleaner housing.

To this end the container of this invention has been provided with positive means for retaining the end plate of the container in proper position thereby minimizing the problems of misalignment and air leakage.

Accordingly it is the general object of this invention to provide a new and improved dust container for suction cleaners of this type.

It is a more particular object of this invention to provide a new and improved dust container for suction cleaners of this type which can be positioned in the cleaner in a positive manner.

Anoter object of this invention is to provide a new and improved dust container which may be installed securely in place with a minimum of time and effort.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved dust container for suction cleaners which is inexpensive to make and easy to manufacture.

Briefly, the present invention accomplishes the above cited objects by providing a dust container having an end plate member with a series of notches adjacent the peripheral edge thereof. Disposed between each pair of notches is a tab member which is inserted behind an inwardly extending flange provided in the housing of the suction cleaner. By providing at least one tab on the top of the end plate member and a pair of tabs on the bottom, one adjacent each side thereof, the dust container can be positively located horizontally as well as vertically relative to the flange. The end plate member is so dimensioned and the tabs are so spaced relative to each other that when all of the tabs have been inserted behind the 3,328,942 Patented July 4, 1967 flange, the peripheral edge thereof abuts the flange at every point and an inlet hole provided in the end plate is properly aligned to receive one end of an air conduit. With this type of positive positioning, it is impossible for the end plate to slip out of alignment.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds and features of novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out in particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a suction cleaner incorporating one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the suction cleaner shown in FIGURE 1, but with the front cover in its opened position for removal or insertion of a dust container;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line III-III of FIGURE 1; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the dust container removed from the suction cleaner.

Referring to the drawings, especially FIG. 1, reference character 10 designates generally a suction cleaner carried by caster 11 and rear wheels 12. The suction cleaner, comprising a generally rectangular housing 13 is adapted to have an air conduit (not shown) connected thereto by means of a detachable coupling, only the female member, designated 14, being shown. The male member of the coupling (not shown) attached to the air conduit (not shown) is adapted to be inserted in the female member 14 and extend through a generally circular sealing member 15 (FIG. 2) and into a dust collecting bag or container to be discussed below.

A dust container 16, best shown in FIG. 4, comprises a bag portion 17 made from any suitable dust impervious material, for example, paper, and having its open end attached to a generally rectangular end plate member 18 having pairs of opposed edges forming peripheral flange means.

The end plate member 18, made from any suitable material, for example, chip board, is provided with a circular inlet opening 19 therethrough for receiving one end of the air conduit. The inlet opening is normally covered by a flexible member 20, for example, a rubber flap, which insures that the dirt accumulated in the bag portion 17 cannot be spilled out of the dust container 16 through the inlet opening 19. The end plate member is notched adjacent its peripheral edges as indicated at 21 (FIG. 4) to provide a plurality of upper and lower tabs 22 the purpose of which will be discussed below.

The housing 13 is provided with a generally rectangular open end housing member 23 (FIGS. 2 and 3) for enclosing the dust container 16. The interior of the housing 23 is rendered accessible for insertion or removal of the dust container by swinging open a front cover 24 (FIG. 2) which is hingedly secured to the open end of the housing member 23, as indicated at 25. The housing member 23 has a circumferentially continuous inwardly extending flange 26 (FIG. 3) having a pair of opposed vertical portions and a pair of opposed horizontal portions the four portions cooperating with a gasket 27 (FIG. 2) disposed on the front cover 24 to sandwich the peripheral edge of the end plate member 18 between the gasket and flange, thereby providing effective sealing.

To install the dust container 16 in the housing member 23 once the front cover 24 has been swung open (FIG. 2), the bag portion 17 is placed within member 23. The upper tab 22 is then inserted behind the radial flange 26 and each of the lower tabs 22 is inserted behind the flange 26 by slightly bowing the end plate member 18 adjacent the lower tabs 22 (FIG. 3). It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the order of inserting the tabs is not critical, the end result being the same. With the tabs inserted as illustrated in FIG. 2, the end plate 18 is positively secured in the position shown consequently, there is no danger of it being displayed. It will be understood that inadvertent movement of the end plate member 18 in the vertical direction is minimized due to the cooperation of the upper and lower tabs 22 with the horizontal portions of the flange 26 while inadvertent horizontal displacement thereof is prevented through the abutting engagement of the lower tabs 22 with the vertical portions of the flange. In other words, the tabs 22 act simultaneously to restrict both horizontal and vertical displacement of the end plate member. As viewed in FIG. 3, the peripheral edge of the end plate member 18 abuts the radial flange 26 substantially at every point therealong and is retained in that position through cooperation of the tabs 22 with the flange 26 thereby effecting proper alignment of the inlet opening with the conduit and minimizing air leakage at the flange.

It will, therefore, be apparent that there has been disclosed a dust container for a suction cleaner which can be positively positioned for insuring proper alignment thereof thereby minimizing loss of suction power due to air leakage and which is inexpensive to make and easy to install.

While there has been shown and described what is at present considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, modifications thereto will readily occur to those skilled in the art. It is not desired, therefore, that the invention be limited to the specific arrangement shown and described and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a suction cleaner, in combination, a housing member having an open end and having a substantially trapezoidal configuration in transverse section with its parallel edges disposed horizontally, said housing member having a substantially trapezoidal shaped flange at its open end with the parallel edges of the flange extending horizontally and the non-parallel edges of the flange extending vertically, a dust container comprising a substantially trapezoidal end plate member with its parallel edges disposed horizontally one above the other and its non-parallel edges extending vertically when the cleaner is in its normal operating position, the lower horizontal edge of said end plate member being provided with at least one slot proximate each end thereof forming a pair of tabs each tab being defined by the portion of said end plate member intermediate the slot and respective ends of said lower edge, the portion of said end plate member lower edge intermediate said slots and the nonparallel vertically extending edges of said end plate member disposed in front and in engagement with said flange and defining an uninserted portion of said end plate member, said tabs being inserted behind the lower edge of said trapezoidal flange for cooperation therewith and the substantially vertical edges of said flange and end plate member to limit at least horizontal displacement of said end plate member relative to said housing member, the total width of both tabs being substantially less than the total length of the lower edge of said flange, said dust container further comprising a gas pervious bag portion having its open end attached to substantially the periphery of said end plate member, said end plate member having an opening located substantially centrally thereof, a cover member pivotally attached to said housing member, said cover when in the closed position clamping said uninserted portion of the end plate member between said flange and said cover member, conduit means in said cover member providing communication between the exterior of said suction cleaner and the interior of said gas pervious bag through said central opening in said end plate member, and a plurality of wheels supporting said cleaner for movement.

2. Structure as specified in claim 1, including at least two slots proximate the center of the upper edge of said end plate member and forming a tab therebetween, the portion of said end plate member upper edge between said slots and the ends of said upper edge being disposed in front of and in engagement with said flange and being an additional part of said uninserted portion, said tab being inserted behind said flange for cooperation therewith and the tabs in said lower edge and said uninserted portion to limit vertical displacement of said end plate member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 715,917 12/1902 Whiton 22027 911,293 2/1909 Charters et al 220-27 X 1,016,921 2/1912 Koch 373 X 2,085,433 6/1937 Lofgren 55373 2,155,669 4/1939 Lofgren 55373 2,342,873 2/1944 Lester 22059 X 2,444,268 6/1948 Peters 22027 2,564,467 8/1951 Crammer 55367 X 2,621,757 12/1952 Anderson 55376 2,818,936 1/1958 Cropley 55376 HARRY B. THORNTON, Primary Examiner.

D. TALBERT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A SUCTION CLEANER, IN COMBINATION, A HOUSING MEMBER HAVING AN OPEN END AND HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY TRAPEZOIDAL CONFIGURATION IN TRANSVERSE SECTION WITH ITS PARALLEL EDGES DISPOSED HORIZONTALLY, SAID HOUSING MEMBER HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY TRAPEZOIDAL SHAPED FLANGE AT ITS OPEN END WITH THE PARALLEL EDGES OF THE FLANGE EXTENDING HORIZONTALLY AND THE NON-PARALLEL EDGES OF THE FLANGE EXTENDING VERTICALLY, A DUST CONTAINER COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY TRAPEZOIDAL END PLATE MEMBER WITH ITS PARALLEL EDGES DISPOSED HORIZONTALLY ONE ABOVE THE OTHER AND ITS NON-PARALLEL EDGES EXTENDING VERTICALLY WHEN THE CLEANER IS IN ITS NORMAL OPERATING POSITION, THE LOWER HORIZONTAL EDGE OF SAID END PLATE MEMBER BEING PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST ONE SLOT PROXIMATE EACH END THEREOF FORMING A PAIR OF TABS EACH TAB BEING DEFINED BY THE PORTION OF SAID END PLATE MEMBER INTERMEDIATE THE SLOT AND RESPECTIVE ENDS OF SAID LOWER EDGE, THE PORTION OF SAID END PLATE MEMBER LOWER EDGE INTERMEDIATE SAID SLOTS AND THE NONPARALLEL VERTICALLY EXTENDING EDGES OF SAID END PLATE MEMBER DISPOSED IN FRONT AND IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FLANGE AND DEFINING AN UNINSERTED PORTION OF SAID END PLATE MEMBER, SAID TABS BEING INSERTED BEHIND THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID TRAPEZOIDAL FLANGE FOR COOPERATION THEREWITH AND THE SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL EDGES OF SAID FLANGE AN END PLATE MEMBER TO LIMIT AT LEAST HORIZONTAL DISPLACEMENT OF SAID END PLATE MEMBER RELATIVE TO SAID HOUSING MEMBER, THE TOTAL WIDTH OF BOTH TABS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE TOTAL LENGTH OF THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID FLANGE, SAID DUST CONTAINER FURTHER COMPRISING A GAS PERVIOUS BAG PORTION HAVING ITS OPEN END ATTACHED TO SUBSTANTIALLY THE PERIPHERY OF SAID END PLATE MEMBER, SAID END PLATE MEMBER HAVING AN OPENING LOCATED SUBSTANTIALLY CENTRALLY THEREOF, A COVER MEMBER PIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO SAID HOUSING MEMBER, SAID COVER WHEN IN THE CLOSED POSITION CLAMPING SAID UNINSERTED PORTION OF THE END PLATE MEMBER BETWEEN SAID FLANGE AND SAID COVER MEMBER, CONDUIT MEANS IN SAID COVER MEMBER PROVIDING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE EXTERIOR OF SAID SUCTION CLEANER AND THE INTERIOR OF SAID GAS PERVIOUS BAG THROUGH SAID CENTRAL OPENING IN SAID END PLATE MEMBER, AND PLURALITY OF WHEELS SUPPORTING SAID CLEANER FOR MOVEMENT. 